Weakness
by Kimasu
Summary: At the age of 11 Ranma meets a stubborn girl who tells him right out that he's not a very good martial artist. From that moment, he's determined to make her admit that he is the greatest. After all, how hard could it possibly be to impress Akane Tendo?
1. Prologue 1: Saving Pchan

WEAKNESS  
At the age of 11 Ranma meets a stubborn girl who tells him right out that he's not a very good martial artist. From that moment, he's determined to make her admit that he is the greatest. How hard could it possibly be to impress Akane Tendo? AU.

**DISCLAIMER: Ranma and his crazy world doesn't belong to me and never will. ;A;**

* * *

**Saving P-Chan**

Per his usual habit, 11 year old Ranma Saotome climbed his way up to the top of the fence and proceeded to balance on it. After the first few falls and multiple days worth of bandages later, he could now walk on the fence with ease and relished in the fact that he was the only one in his class-in the school that could do it. And do it good. With pride he watched as other kids behind him tried the same fleet and failed miserably. His friend, U-chan, tried to climb up too but she couldn't make it and pouted the whole way to their foster home.

"Why don't you just give me a boost so I can walk up there with you, Ran-chan?"

"If you can't climb by yourself, you won't be able to walk by yourself," Ranma told her, matter of factly. "It's harder than it looks."

"All I need is practice and I'll be able to do it easily," she insisted. "Until then, don't you want to walk up there together?"

"We're walking together now, so it's fine."

After all the practice he had to go through to get up here, he'd be humiliated if his friend could do it with ease. So he was somewhat happy to see U-chan failing as bad as the other kids. Not that he wanted her to fail, it was just nice knowing that he was better.

"It's because my dad is a martial artist, so this stuff just comes easy to me."

"It didn't come easy! You still have the bruises and band aids from your fall yesterday!" U-chan teased.

"All great martial artists get cut up like this!" Ranma insisted.

"I thought all great martial artists never got cut up."

Ranma blushed and kicked the fence. "You get cut up and then you learn never to get cut up again-that's how it works."

U-chan shrugged, obviously loosing interest in the whole thing. "If you say so. Hey, do you want to stop by the Okonomiyaki restaurant on the way home?"

"Your treat?"

"Don't be so cheap…"

Having agreed to split the bill, the two friends veered off the regular path and towards the center of town, chatting about school. Almost immediately, their conversation was pierced through by the sharp scream of a girl.

"Give him back or you'll regret it, you jerks! I'll take you on myself if I have to!"

"Come and get us, then. Which one do you want to take on first, huh?"

"Or do you want to take us on all at once like before?" another laughed.

Ranma and Ukyo both watched as three older boys continued passing around a little black piglet amongst themselves as a girl, about their age, feverishly cried and thrashed about to get the little pig back. No matter how much she shouted and kicked them, they continued their game of keep away. Ranma started a bit. What sort of guy picked on a girl like that?

"Maybe we should get an adult. I saw one around the corner-"

"There's no time for that. Besides, I'm a martial artist. I can take them."

"Those are high school boys, Ranma!"

"It doesn't matter how old they are. I can take them!"

Before Ukyo could stop him, Ranma had already tossed her his backpack and charged into the middle of the scene.

Instead of being scared or worried, a preferred emotion, the group looked confused as Ranma appeared among them. The girl paused mid-kick into one of the boy's shins while one of the other boys held the squealing piglet as he blinked down at Ranma.

"What do you want, kid?"

"To challenge you to a fight!"

"Fight?"

Ranma thrust his finger at the pig. "If I win, you'll give that pig back!"

Immediately the three boys broke into loud laughter. This was far from the entrance into martial arts he was looking for. And the sound of the insulting laughter was like a punch in the gut. So, they thought he was something to laugh at, was he? He'd show them for laughing at Ranma Saotome!

While they were still laughing, Ranma launched his fist into the elbow of the boy who had been holding the pig. Catching the pig the one arm, he used the other to send another attack into the gut of the boy who had been keeping back the girl by her forehead.

"You little brat! You'll pay for that!"

Ranma smirked, ducking under the punch and running between the legs of the attacker. Instead, the boy punched his friend in the face, who cursed and punched the first boy back. As those two went at each other, the third boy sent his foot into Ranma's chest. He was too fast for the unprepared and terribly inexperienced Ranma and the 11 year old was sent flying against the fence.

Piglet still in hand, Ranma rolled away from the next hit and held his forearm out to block the next. Okay, this was not going exactly as he had planned. He had imagined something more along the lines of sending the three boys running home for their mommies-not three very angry, violent boys all taking hits at him.

He was completely unprepared for how much it hurt to actually be kicked in the stomach or punched in the face. Blood dripped across his face, no matter how much he blocked and ducked. They took him up by the collar and smashed his body against the sharp metal. His back was up against the fence and they were closing in. There had to be a way to win, though! He just needed an opening to get on the fence and-

As if a message from heaven, the boys were stopping their attacks and covering their heads with loud curses. Behind them, Ranma saw the girl with a dress full of rocks and broken glass, launching the objects at the boys.

"You cowards!" she screamed. "You think it's fair to take him on when it's three against one? You make me sick! Fight for real if you're going to at all, you dirty cowards!"

Ranma took the break and back somersaulted up to the top of the fence. He wasn't sure how he did it without climbing but none of the three boys were impressed. As one of the boys went after the girl, the other two made a grab for him.

As they did, Ranma hopped up and back to the ground, shoving them from behind so that both boys fell forward, over the fence and into the water below.

"Losers!" he called as they hit the water.

Without looking back, Ranma scooped up one of the rocks the girl had been throwing and sent it soaring into the skull of the guy who was now twisting the arm of the girl. When the boy only looked over, but didn't let her go, Ranma sent another stone into his cheek.

"She's right, you are a coward! What sort of man involves a girl?"

Pig still in arm, Ranma ran towards the boy and sprung up into the air to send a kick into the guy's side. As he tumbled to the ground, Ranma went in for another attack to finish the fight but his hand hit cement. His target, responding to the calls of his friends stranded in the water, had already ran to help them.

Not that it was surprising that they were running away from someone as strong as him, Ranma thought. But he couldn't let them get away after treating a girl like that and he moved to finish the fight. Before Ranma could go after him, his hand was grabbed and he was being pulled after the girl to a house across the way.

"We don't have much time! Those guys may be idiots but they don't give up easy!"

Ranma said nothing as he was dragged through a large house, up the stairs and to a hall window. There they watched as the boys pulled themselves out of the water. When the group headed towards town, the girl sighed in relief and sunk to the floor.

"They're so annoying…!"

"So you know them?"

"Only because they're always after P-chan!"

As the girl stretched her arms out, smiling, Ranma reflectively returned the piglet to her. As she did this, Ranma noticed that her arm had a red burn-mark on it from whatever the last boy was doing to her. He also saw that her arms already had band aids on them. Was it a common thing for them to go after her?

"Are you a martial artist?" she asked.

Ranma puffed out his chest. "Of course I am."

The girl considered him for a moment, looking at his cut up face and clothes before getting back to her feet. "You're not very good, are you?"

The direct, matter of fact tone was like a slap to the face. He immediately got red in the face. "In a three to one fight-of course I'm going to look like this!"

"Not if you're really good!"

"Oh, and you're such a expert?"

"Yes, because my dad is a martial artist!"

"Well, you're not, so keep your opinions to yourself!"

"It's not my fault you're not a good martial artist! Don't get mad at me!" she screamed back.

Ranma was floored. Just what sort of girl would say this sort of thing? And after all he went through to protect her and her stupid pig who, by the way, started biting him when he was yelling with the girl.

"I don't know what sort of martial artist you are, but you need more practice. You missed a lot of openings," she told him as she pulled P-chan's teeth from his skin. "What school are you part of?"

"None of your business."

"Fine. I don't care." She turned up her nose and started down the hall. Not knowing what else to do, Ranma went after her into a bedroom at the end of a ridiculously long hall. The duck sign on the door read "Akane."

There, she put her piglet down on the carpet and continued walking with the little guy at her heel. The room was huge. Compared to the room him and U-chan shared at their foster home, this place looked like a castle. The room alone was bigger than their whole house…

"Your face is all messed up," Akane said as she walked back up to him with a fist aid kit. "You left it open too much. Blocking with your forearm is fine but if your arms aren't strong enough to withstand the hits, you're just going to get them all messed up too. Here. Give me your right arm."

Ranma mumbled under his breath as he sat down with her. Was this the sort of gratitude martial artists always got? Geez, how ungrateful could a person get? Despite the harsh criticism she was really gentile when it came to bandaging him up. He didn't even realize he had lost so much blood, but by the time she was finished there was a pile of bloody clothes on the floor beside them.

"Your face looks better anyways. Just don't get into anything you can't handle on the way back."

Ranma rolled his eyes. Who was this girl? Acting like she knew everything…

"You should avoid this area from now on," she continued, in that know-it-all voice. "Those guys may be idiots, but like I said, they're persistent and cowardly. They won't go easy on your next time since they know what you're capable of. You should take another way home, too."

"I'm not afraid of them," Ranma said defiantly. "Let them bring more guys, I don't care."

"You should care. Your face can't take any more damage. Or does it always look like that?"

Ranma swore he heard the piglet laughing from Akane's lap.

As she was putting the bandages away, Ranma again noticed the deep red burn mark on her arm.

"And what about you?"

"What about me?"

"If you say they'll be after me, then they'll be after you, too."

She shrugged. "They always are so I'm used to it."

"It's still not right for a guy to hit a girl," Ranma said seriously. "Are you alright?"

Akane quickly pulled her sleeves down to hide the injuries and snapped the first aid box shut. "You should go now in case they come back for you. I'll show you the best way out."


	2. Prologue 2: Challenge!  Ranma Accepts

**DISCLAIMER: **Nope. Ranma still doesn't belong to me.

* * *

**Challenge! Ranma Accepts**

So. The rumors were true after all. The most wanted guy in SIG…Alive. Not that Ryoga had all together believed that someone like Ranma Saotome would just lie down and die like a normal person. Even against Saffron that guy had been such a stubborn ass. But what the hell did he think he was doing? Hiding out in a normal town like a nobody…Was he really that confident no one would look for him here? Or maybe he was just the same cocky moron he had always been, Ryoga mused. Waiting for everyone to come to him instead. In that case, he deserved what he got the moment it was let out that he was alive.

Not only Saffron but the whole SIG wanted him dead. And yet there Ranma was, right where everyone with eyes could see him, going to school like an average kid of all things. Getting into nothing fights, nearly loosing them, probably on purpose knowing that guy's personality...

Well, unlike Ranma, Ryoga was honorable. He didn't hide himself like a coward. He was completely open, honest and undeceiving to everyone he-

"Ah! There you are, P-chan! All ready for school?"

Okay, maybe not completely honest, Ryoga blushed as he was brought into Akane's warm chest. But at least his deception for a reason! Oblivious to the identity of her pet or the musings on the missing SIG fighter, Akane chatted away to the little piglet about what had happened to her earlier that morning.

"Honestly, I don't know why I bother with them, P-chan. Mousse never follows through and Shampoo just comes along to laugh at me.…you know what she said to me?

"'Very bad curse. Maybe if Akane stop temper, she stop being hurt,'" Akane mimicked in her childhood rival's voice.

"Well, I don't care if Shampoo does have a cure for me in one of her stupid herbal bottles…We'll just find a cure ourselves. We don't need anyone but each other, right P-chan?"

The piglet nodded in agreement as the two headed out of the empty house together. Akane Tendo was 10 years old, but only for a little longer. By the end of next week she would be 11. Not that it really mattered, since there was no one to celebrate it with. Except P-chan, of course! The only one she could actually trust now. And thinking so, Akane lifted the piglet to her lips and gave him a kiss.

"It ain't a frog," a somewhat familiar voice called out. "So you'll get nothing out of it by kissing him, you know."

Akane looked around in confusion before raising her eyes to see the boy from yesterday walking on the fence above her. His face still had dried blood on it, and it looked like he hadn't changed the bandages. It must be a theme with him though because his clothes didn't look much changed from yesterday. Still had blood and dirt. Turning her face from his taunting smirk, Akane tucked P-chan back into her bag and continued on her way.

"Geez, it was just a joke. You were supposed to laugh."

Akane picked up her pace. The boy did the same.

"Do you always walk alone like this? It's pretty dumb."

"I didn't ask for your opinion."

"It's freely given. Especially to people who are doing something stupid."

Hopping over her head with ease, the boy landed on the other side of Akane and, much to her annoyance, continued in stride with her.

"Are you a stalker or something?" she asked him, peevishly.

"Hey, I'm just a normal guy, on my way to school."

"Liar. I've never seen you walk this way before."

"Of course you haven't because I'm always walking behind you. Watching..."

When he started laughing at her suddenly pale look, Akane felt her temper rise. She tried to get him with her bag but he just moved under it and to her other side. She tried for him again and got the same annoying laughter in reply. Too busy relishing in the fact when she had finally wiped the smile off his smug face with the direct hit, Akane didn't notice her footing.

The laughter stopped at once when she hit the ground but when he attempted to offer his hand, Akane pushed him away.

"Geez, I'm just trying to help-"

"If you want to help, stay away from me," she snapped, snatching up her bag and bounding away.

Just what sort of girl was she? Ranma wondered as he watched her run off into the crowds of gathering children. His eyes flickered down to the sidewalk where her blood had spilled, then back up to the school she was heading to. If his reflexes were better he could have easily caught her before she fell…

The next morning Akane was cradling P-chan to her chest and chatting happily with him when she heard a now familiar voice above her. That boy gave her a wave as they continued walking.

"Now what do you want?" she asked in irritation.

"I told ya yesterday, I'm just walking to school."

"I've never seen you at my school."

"It's not the same school. Just the same way."

Akane remained suspicious as he continued following her. Again his clothes had the same blood and dirt splotches on them, and his face was starting to scream infection. And although she knew she shouldn't give him attention, she couldn't help asking, "Why haven't you changed them yet?"

"Huh?"

"The band aids. They're the same ones I put on you. If you don't change them then your face will be even more messed up."

"It'll still look better than yours."

Growing cross at his teasing, Akane kicked the fence and kept walking, not even watching as he lost his balance and fell off. But maybe if she had been, she would have seen the loose fence coming down before it crushed her to the ground.

"Man, you're klutz," he said, as he lifted it off her.

The first day he followed her to school she was suspicious, the 2nd day she was just annoyed but by the end of the week Akane was so far past being irritated by his presence that she actually considered finding another way to school when she opened her door and saw him waving to her from the fence. But she wouldn't give him that satisfaction of running away. Instead, she strode right up to him and told him flat out to stay away from her.

Despite the warning tone of her voice, the boy casually folded his arms behind his head with a grin.

"Come on, Akane. If I don't follow you, who's going to keep saving your clumsy butt?"

"Saving? ! You're the cause of everything!"

Clearly not understanding the implication, and why would he, he said, "Hey, if I wasn't here, you'd still be caught under that fence, or stuck in that net or flattened by that car. Someone as clumsy as you can't be left alone."

Unable to stop herself, Akane launched a pebble at his head as he stuck out his tongue.

"You're insane! Do you just plan to follow me around, bothering me forever? !"

As this was said a young child on a bike choose that moment to whip around the corner and nearly pummel Akane over. Ranma grinned after having successfully pulled her away from the accident. "Or at least until you stop being a walking bull eye."

P-chan, or so he was known as by Akane and Ranma, watched their interaction from Akane-san's bag with increasing suspicion and distaste. Already it had crossed his mind that Ranma might know who Akane-san was, but even if that was true, it wouldn't do him any good. Not even she could save him from his fate.

Just what sort of idiotic game was he playing now, Ryoga wondered. And who's life was he going to ruin in the process this time...?

* * *

Shifting all his weight on his right ankle, Ranma effectively used the extra snap in the roundhouse kick to knock his competitor off his feet. The guy was an annoying little idiot from his class and didn't seem to understand that his head had been severely smashed in from the impact to the ice packed ground. Prancing back and forth and hopping up and down like this was some kind of wrestling match, completely unaware of the fact that he had blood dripping down his face…Time to knock this kid out so he didn't hurt himself.

When the guy actually did try to land a punch, Ranma swung a fist to his jaw and sent him crashing through a tree in the park. As the tree fell backward the image of a tiny piglet came into view. He took one look at Ranma before scampering through the feet of the laughing and cheering students and into the waiting arms of Akane. Not exactly unhappy to see her, Ranma strode up to the frowning girl with a smirk.

"Impressed?"

"Why would I be impressed by someone who doesn't know how to kick?" she replied, dully.

"Are you blind? ! I got him right in the chest and off his feet!"

"You were aiming lower, though."

"Listen, you-"

"Why are you wasting your time fighting people that aren't fighters?" she further scolded. "If you were a real martial artist you'd be spending your time working on your own faults. Not showing off like some self-satisfied moron," she concluded, walking away.

Geez! There was absolutely _nothing_ likable about that girl. Maybe some other blind idiot may be thrown off into thinking that she looked cute and innocent, especially with how many bandages she was always wearing, but Ranma knew better. Watching out for her for a whole week, risking himself for her safety and what thanks does he get? Constant criticism. If he catches her before she trips over a curb, he's too slow. If he fights someone, he's too weak. For someone who never fought for herself, she sure had a lot to say about the matter. Ranma decided that if any word could describe that girl it would be uncute.

"Hey, Ran-chan. Are you actually coming to school today?"

After tossing one last look at Akane's retreating form, Ranma turned all his attention on U-chan. "They just force me to stand out in the hallway with buckets of water so it's pretty pointless if I do."

"Maybe if you hadn't been skipping school so much our teacher wouldn't be so hard on you when you do come in late," U-chan said as she watched the sulking Ranma hop up onto the fence. "With how much class you've missed since we came to this town, you'll probably have to repeat the grade."

Ranma waved it off. "I'll just test out of it."

"I don't know how you do it," U-chan mumbled. "One of these days your luck will run out, Ran-chan. Then you'll actually have to start coming to school."

"Until then there's no need for any of that stuff. I have more important things to do, anyways."

"So you're still training?"

"Yep."

"Do you think all martial artists watch old anime shows to train, too?"

He shrugged. "With pop being gone and all, it's the only thing I can do…"

"At least you've stopped shouting out the attack names…"

"That was one time!" Cooling from the jest, Ranma said, "Guess we'll just have to wait until those guys come after me again so I can finish my fight and test myself for real. All these wrestlers and sports players are too easy."

Ukyo shook her head. How did he go from fence walking to this? Her friend had always been preoccupied by the idea that his dad was a great martial artist but for the past week it seemed like training was the only thing on his mind. Well, aside from food. Cooking Okonomiyaki was really the only thing that got Ranma to stay inside with her for more than a few minutes. Sometimes Ukyo would take her homework out in the backyard and watch Ranma train. Not wanting to be pushed aside by the sudden interest he had, Ukyo even asked him to train her.

On a usual weekday morning Ranma was gone before she woke up. Off training, she supposed, since that's all he talked about since the fight with the high school boys. So the fact that this morning they were walking to school together again made her happy. To everyone aside from Ranma, it was probably no secret that Ukyo had a crush on her childhood friend. The two had been together through foster home after foster home, not to mention her father had known Ranma's father. Neither her nor Ran-chan understood why, but the day their fathers met, her and Ran-chan were plopped into a foster home. But from that day on, they were inseparable. One time, when they were both five, the agency had tried splitting Ranma and Ukyo up so Ranma had stubbornly protested by climbing up to the roof of their present house and refusing to come down until "their demands were met." It seemed just as important to Ran-chan that they stay together as it did to her. But it was more than him being the only stable thing in her life that attracted her so much to him. He just had a easy, somewhat reckless way of living that she liked.

Okay, and it didn't hurt that he was the first boy who told her she was cute...

As the two of them walked on that morning, Ukyo chatted away happily. "Since it's still early, we could get some breakfast from the cafeteria. It's not the greatest food but it's something, right Ran-Chan?" Not getting any answer, Ukyo looked up to see Ranma had stopped walking and was now staring off blankly into the bunches of students that cluttered the sidewalk. "Ran-chan? Did you hear me?"

Thrusting his hands into his pockets, he picked up the walk again. But his stare still seemed distance. "It's them."

Ukyo looked around. "Who?"

Ranma hopped off the fence and walked near her as if to block her from their view. "Those guys that went after Akane."

Ukyo was about to question who Akane was but she didn't have the chance before the three boys that Ranma had fought last week were facing them. No one said anything as the five of them stood amongst the crowds of students pouring into the school. After a tense stare off between Ranma and the boys, Ukyo watched as a folded up piece of paper was passed to her friend.

Later that day, Ranma held out the same paper to Akane as she walked up to him. "This explains why those guys haven't come after us yet."

The characteristic annoyance that usually crossed her face when she saw him intensified as she read over the crudely written note.

"A letter of challenge? Those guys really are pathetic. Just because they took a few classes they think they can make this look like an honorable thing?" Akane pushed the paper against his chest. "It's disgusting."

"So they are martial artists?"

"I wouldn't go that far," Akane said, crossing her arms. "More like criminals, if you ask me. They took classes at my father's dojo but they turned what they learned into vile things. All they do is beat up people at their school and use scare tactics to make them look better than they are. I hope you're not taking this challenge up, Ranma," she added in after thought.

He twitched. "And why the hell shouldn't I?"

"Are you deaf? They fight dirty."

"I beat them the first time, didn't I?"

"You surprised them the first time," she corrected. "With dumb luck. And even that barely got you out in one piece."

When Akane moved to walk around him, Ranma blocked her path. "Listen you, I've been in training since then so I'm prepared for anything they throw at me! If you come to the match then you'll see that everything you've said about me is wrong!"

For as angry and serious as he was, Akane was rather apathetic and told him rather dryly that he could have all the delusions he wanted, but he was not a martial artist. Furthermore, she wouldn't be caught dead near such a stupid, senseless match.

Was there anything that he could say or do that would actually impress this girl? ! Geez! He was always quick at amazing people with whatever he did but not even saving her ungrateful butt, multiple times now, could tip the scale in his favor. Maybe it was because of this that Ranma stubbornly persisted to try and win some approval from the obstinate girl. The match was going to be a breeze compared to that fleet, he thought as he watched Akane turn on her heel.

"It's sort of exciting isn't it?" U-chan said as they went through training exercises that night. "Your first challenge as a martial artist. Even if you don't win, it's still exciting."

"Yeah, thanks for the vote confidence."

"I didn't mean it like that. Besides, I've seen you train, but not fight so I don't know what to expect. I missed the whole thing between you and the guys before since I went to go find an adult, but this time I'll be there the whole time, cheering you on, Ran-chan. You'll be great!"

Why couldn't Akane be as cute and supportive as U-chan, Ranma absently wondered. But Ukyo was a normal girl, Ranma quickly reminded himself. Akane was not.

"And if you win, I'll even treat you out to Okonomiyaki!" Ukyo was saying.

"Geez, you don't have to do that. Yours is better than that old place any day," Ranma told her honestly. "If you opened up a place of your own then they'd be out of business in no time."

"Oh stop!" Ukyo said, blushing and punching him in the face.

Ranma grinned, ducking the second punch. Although they did technically train together, Ranma never took a hit at her, and never would either. Aside from being his childhood friend, Ukyo was a girl after all. And principle refused him from ever being like those guys that went after Akane. He wasn't sure if this was a common thread of thought among all great martial artists, but he could never see himself thinking otherwise.

He may not throw a punch at her but Ranma let U-chan go all out on him. She was perfect for defensive training. As he blocked her every hit, Ranma's mind again wandered from the pretty smile of Ukyo to the disapproving looks Akane was always giving him.

He knew that he did care what she thought of him but he didn't know why he cared so damn much. Maybe because she was the only one who didn't accept the fact he was great. If only she would go to the match, then she would have no choice but to admit that she was wrong and that he was amazing!

"Hey, U-chan, you're a girl, aren't you?"

"…Despite the four years you thought I was a guy, yes," she replied flatly.

She attempted a kick at him, so he kicked out too, blocking the move.

In a much harsher tone, he said, "So if I was doing everything I could to keep you from getting hurt, would you be offended?"

Ukyo blushed. "If _you_ were doing that that?"

She wasn't sure if he heard her or not before he was shouting, "Just what sort of girl is she anyways? !" and sending his fist into the tree trunk at his side. Much to her surprise, his hand almost went straight through the thick truck. And much to her amusement, the apples fell from the tree and pounded him on the head.

On the day before the match, Ranma was surprised see Akane was waiting for him where he was usually waiting for her. Skipping any sort of pleasantry she told him, "If you really are going to be stupid and accept this challenge, I might as well help you."

"I don't need your help."

"Yes, you do." And saying so, she slapped a piece of paper to his forehead.

"What the hell was that for-? !"

"I've known about their weak points for awhile now, but since they're faster than me I could never hit them. I'm not saying you're faster, but you're more reckless so you might have a chance."

Ranma looked over the paper with interest as Akane leaned close to him, pointing out each of their weaknesses on her crudely drawn stick figures. As Akane indicated each one, she mentioned that somehow he had gone for their weak spots in the last fight without knowing it. Dumb luck, she insisted. But now that he knew, she told him he better do it right and finish it quickly.

"How do you know all this?" he asked as they walked together.

"I know weaknesses," she replied, shrugging. "Ever since I was small I could pinpoint one just by looking at someone."

Ranma was impressed and fascinated, but didn't dare show it. That's the last thing he needed, to give her a boost on her already elevated platform above him.

"I still think that the whole thing is ridiculous, on both of your parts. Them for making the challenge, and you for accepting it," she told him frankly as she took P-chan out from her bag. "But, if they're going to stay on a three against one match then this at least makes it fair."

"So if it's going to be fair, why don't you come?"

"Not that it's any of your business, but my birthday is tomorrow so me and P-chan have other plans. Right, P-chan?" she reiterated, smiling and kissing her piglet on the nose. Pet or not, the kissing still disturbed him….

Great. Now how was he going to get her to admit that he was a martial artist if she wasn't even coming? With something close to a pout, Ranma hopped over her onto the fence as they continued their walk in silence. At the point of the walk where Akane usually turned into the yard of her school and shouted some insult at him, Ranma took the opportunity to say something along the lines of thanks for the weak points. Much to his surprise, Akane returned the gratitude by saying it was an exchange for saving P-chan in the first place.

A moment of silence passed between them before Ranma blurted out, "I can't believe you're really not coming. Damnit, you're a stubborn girl. Or maybe you just don't want to admit that you're wrong and that I am a great martial artist."

"Don't be stupid," she brushed past where he was standing on the fence and headed into the school gates. "I have nothing to see at that fight. I already know you're going to win."

* * *

_Author Notes and other such nonsense:_

Part 2 of the 3 part prologue complete!

And to the questions of the reviewers, without giving any plot away, I'll say this: Yes. And no.


End file.
